Protective device

ABSTRACT

A protection device for protecting the potable water from contamination caused by backflow, comprises a housing with a potable water inlet, a first funnel, which is arranged at a distance to and aligned below the potable water inlet, and a second funnel, which is arranged at a distance to and aligned below the first conical funnel, and via which the water can be drained. An opening in the housing is formed for the discharge of the backflowing water, to which the back-flowing water can flow between the first and the second funnel.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to German Application No. 202016100854.9 filed on Feb. 18, 2016, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

DESCRIPTION Protection Device

The invention relates to a protection device for protecting the potable water from contamination caused by back-flow.

In various applications, protection devices are required for protecting the potable water from contamination caused by a back-flow. One exemplary case is a flushing station, for example, which ensures that water will not stand for more than 72 hours in a certain water strand and initiates the flushing process automatically after exceeding this time limit.

In this case, it is to be ensured that the draining water will not get into contact with the newly inflowing potable water. According to the EN 1717 standard, it is not permitted that that drained wastewater gets into contact with newly inflowing drinking water. Wastewater is to be assigned to category 5 as being harmful according to the EN 1717 standard. Category 5 liquids must be protected with protection devices of the AA-, AB- or AC-type. A product standard for the AA-type is DIN EN 13076, for example. Thus, the object underlying the invention is to propose a protection device for protecting the potable water from contamination caused by backflow, which complies with the German industrial standards DIN EN 130 76 as well as DIN EN 1717.

Moreover, the protection device should also fulfill the W540 test standard of the DVGW (German: Deutscher Verein für Gas and Wasser).

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a protection device for protecting the potable water from contamination caused by backflow, comprising a housing with a potable water inlet, a first funnel, which is arranged at a distance to and aligned below the potable water inlet, a second funnel, which is arranged at a distance to and aligned with the first funnel and via which the water can be drained, wherein an opening is formed in the housing for the exit of the back-flowing water, to which the backflowing water can flow between the first and the second funnel.

The configuration of the protection device having the two series-connected funnels ensures that water will not sprinkle back to the potable water inlet even under test conditions, but the back-sprinkling water is drained via the space between the first and the second funnel to the opening in the housing.

Preferably, the two series-connected funnels are formed as conical funnels. Conical as defined by the invention means that the wall of the funnel extends in a straight conical manner, or in bulged conical manner as shown in the following exemplary embodiments. According to the above-mentioned standards, in particular EN 13076, it is required that the drain is closed and potable water is guided to the closed drain at a flow pressure of 10 bar. This results in a water level in the second conical funnel, via which normally the water can be drained, and the water supplied with a flow pressure of 10 bar causes a backflow when hitting the water level. This backflow hits laterally against the lower side of the first conical funnel and is guided to the opening through the gap between the first and second conical funnels.

According to a preferred embodiment, the second conical funnel is part of a siphon. Preferably, the second conical part is surrounded by a siphon socket, so that the draining water can rise at the outer side of the second conical part and can be drained again via the siphon socket.

According to another preferred embodiment, the housing is formed of a cover and a lower part, wherein the first conical funnel is releasably received in the cover and the second conical funnel is releasably received in the lower part. The separated design of the housing and the detachable installation of the first conical funnel as well as of the second conical funnel allows maintenance of the protection device, e.g. in the case of calcification.

According to another preferred embodiment, a flow regulator is installed in the potable water inlet. The flow regular allows targeted guidance of the supplied water and, in particular, a flow volume regulator, such as a Neoper1, can be installed in the flow regulator, in order to obtain a uniformly defined water jet. Furthermore, it is favorable that sensors for detecting an overflow situation and for closing the water inlet are installed in the cover. The protection device according to the invention is usually installed behind a front wall, and the sensors allow for preventing an overflow situation and a flooding behind the front wall if the drain is clogged, since a signal for blocking the water inlet can be output immediately by the sensor elements. This prevents extensive renovation works due to the overflowing water.

For normal operation, it is favorable if lugs for water guidance are installed between the potable water inlet and the first conical funnel as well as between the first conical funnel and in the second conical funnel, which protect the potable water inlet from back-sprinkling water and guide the back-flowing water toward the opening.

Furthermore, it is favorable that the flow regulator is produced from material suitable for potable water, e.g. polyphenylene sulfone (PPSU), and the remainder is produced from a plastic not suitable for potable water, such as ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene).

Further advantages of the invention are disclosed in the sub claims as well as in the following description of figures.

The figures show in:

FIG. 1 schematically a bathroom with a flushing station,

FIG. 2 the flushing station according to FIG. 1 in an enlarged view,

FIG. 3 the protection device in an inclined/oblique view,

FIGS. 4 and 5 the protection device in an inclined view and exploded view,

FIG. 6 the protection device in a sectional view from the front,

FIG. 7 the protection device in a lateral sectional view, and

FIG. 8 the protection device in an oblique/inclined sectional view.

In the following, elements having the same construction and function are indicated with the same reference numerals and will not be repeatedly explained separately.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a bathroom, in which all consumers are connected via a so-called ring-pipe system. A cold water rising pipe KSL and a hot water rising pipe WSL are laid vertically across the floors. In each case one cold water pipe KWL and one hot water pipe WWL is connected to this cold water rising pipe KSL and hot water rising pipe WSL, which leads to the respective consumers. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, first a valve V is provided in the cold-water pipe KWL, and a flushing tank SK of a toilet WC is connected downstream thereof. Downstream thereof, the cold water pipe KWL leads to a mixer faucet MA of a shower D. At this mixer faucet MA, the cold-water pipe KWL is looped-through and leads further to a flushing station SS and, afterwards, further to the cold-water port of a wash basin WB. Just as well, at the cold-water port, the cold-water pipe KWL is looped-through and goes further to further consumers on the floor, which are not illustrated in FIG. 1. The hot water pipe WWL is not connected to the flushing tank SK of the toilet, but also connected via a series-pipe to the mixer faucet MA of the shower D, the flushing station SS as well as the wash basin WB as well as further consumers on the floor.

The above-mentioned so-called ring-pipe installation of the consumers in the hot and cold water pipe ensures that the water is moved through all of the other consumers connected upstream the water tab when opening the tab at the wash basin WB, and thus, pipe sections in which water could be standing for a longer period of time are prevented, although certain consumers have been served.

In particular, the risk lies with the fact that the legionella will be forming when water stands for a longer period of time. To not leave to chance the exchange of water, the flushing station SS is integrated in the water circuit.

FIG. 2 shows the flushing station in an enlarged view. The hot water pipe WWL as well as the cold water pipe KWL are connected to the flushing station SS via so-called loop-fittings DSL, the third branch of the loop fittings DSF leading to a protection device SE. Electrically actuatable valves EV are integrated in the third branch of the loop fittings DSF, the valves being controlled via a sensor S and opening the valves briefly, e.g. after 72 hours, so that approximately 3 liters of water flow into the protection device SE and are drained from the protection device via a drain AF.

The flushing station SS thereby ensures the constant availability of fresh water in the cold water pipe KWL and the hot water pipe WWL and prevents the formation of legionella or other harmful substances.

The protection device SE is illustrated in an oblique view in FIGS. 3 to 5, FIGS. 4 and 5 each showing the protection device SE in an exploded view. The protection device SE comprises a housing G, which is formed by a cover DL and a lower part UT. A potable water inlet TWZ is provided in the cover DL at the upper side thereof, and a siphon socket SSN is provided at the lower part UT, which can be plugged into the drain pipe AF (see FIG. 2) and through which the water can be drained.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, a first conical funnel EKT and a second conical funnel ZKT is received in the housing G which is formed of cover DL and lower part UT, wherein the first conical funnel EKT is arranged at a distance to and aligned below the potable water inlet TWZ, and the second conical funnel ZKT is arranged at a distance to and aligned below the first conical funnel EKT. The arrangement and mounting of the first conical funnel EKT and of the second conical funnel ZKT is shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 and the effect of the two conical funnels is explained in greater detail in conjunction with FIGS. 6 to 8.

Furthermore, sensor elements SE are received in the cover part DL, the elements detecting whether water stands in the lower part UT and automatically output a signal to the electric valves EV, which stop the supply of water to prevent an overflow situation. Lateral openings OE are provided in the housing G in the cover part DL, which enable the backflowing water to be drained when the drain AF is clogged (and the sensor elements S or electric valves EV fail).

A so-called flow regulator SR is integrated in the potable water inlet, which ensures that a defined water jet is formed. A flow volume regulator can be received in the flow regulator, e.g. a Neoper1.

The flow regulator is formed of a material suitable for potable water, such as PPSU. The remainder of the protection device SE is preferably formed of a material not suitable for potable water, such as the synthetic material ABS. This enables a cheaper production of the protection device, since ABS is significantly cheaper than material suitable for potable water, and only the flow regulator SR gets into contact with the potable water.

The functioning of the protection device SE as well as the structure thereof is explained in greater detail by means of FIGS. 6 to 8. The first conical funnel EKT is installed, with its upper edge, at a distance a1 to the lower edge of the flow regulator SR in the protection device SE. The second conical funnel ZKT is installed at a distance a2 between its upper edge and the lower edge of the first conical funnel EKT in the protection device. According to the test regulations, at 10 bar water pressure and the drain AF closed, it is not permitted for water standing in the second conical funnel ZKT to sprinkle to the potable water inlet TWZ or the lower edge of the flow regulator SR. This is specified by the DIN standards EN 13076, EN 1717 and even by the test standard W540 of the DVGW (German: Deutscher Verein für Gas and Wasser). To ensure that, the supplied water (illustrated by an arrow within the flow regulator SR) is routed through the flow regulator SR into the first conical funnel EKT, which is arranged at the distance a1 to and aligned below the flow regulator SR, before hitting the water surface of the water standing in the second conical funnel ZKT. The distance a1 is dimensioned in accordance with DIN 13076. The water sprinkling back by the incoming water jet is drained to the outside through the first conical funnel EKT, which is arranged at the distance a2 above the second conical funnel EKT, via the outer wall of the first conical funnel and may be drained (schematically illustrated by the two arrows in FIG. 6) through openings OE in the housing G.

If an overflow situation arises, the sensor elements SE will react and stop the inflow of water in the flushing station SS via the electric valves EV, see FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 shows the illustration of FIG. 6 in a sectional view rotated by 90°. FIG. 8 shows the view according to FIG. 7 in a slightly pivoted form. Lugs L are formed between the first conical funnel EKT and the second conical funnel ZKT, which, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, but run in parallel to one another only on two sides. Lugs L will route the back-flowing or back-sprinkling water back to the lower side of the first conical funnel EKT, namely in the region where the openings OE are formed in the cover part DL. Thus, the lugs L route the back-sprinkling water to the openings OE. Lugs LD are also formed between the cover part DL and the first conical funnel EKT. These lugs are arranged over the surface within the openings OE and offset inwards and extend all the way to the edge of the first conical funnel EKT. The lugs LD are formed in a semi-circular manner and corresponding to the DIN 13076 spaced from the potable water inlet TWZ standard at least by the dimension 2 times a1. In an overflow situation, the lugs LD prevent that the water drained through the openings OE can sprinkle back to the potable water inlet TWZ in particular of the lower side of the flow regulator SR. In normal operation, the lugs LD also prevent the water from sprinkling to the outside through the openings OE.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, in particular, the invention may be used in other applications such as a flushing station. 

1. Protection device for protecting the potable water from contamination caused by backflow, comprising: a housing with a potable water inlet, a first funnel, which is arranged at a distance to and aligned below the potable water inlet, a second funnel, which is arranged at a distance to and aligned below the first conical funnel, and via which the water can be drained, wherein an opening in the housing is formed for the discharge of the backflowing water, to which the back-flowing water can flow between the first and the second funnel.
 2. Protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein the first and the second funnel are designed conically and the second conical funnel is part of a siphon.
 3. Protection device according to claim 2, characterized in that wherein the second conical funnel is surrounded by a siphon socket, which acts as a siphon together with the second conical funnel.
 4. Protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein the housing is formed of a cover and a lower part and the first conical funnel is received in the cover and the second conical funnel is received in the lower part.
 5. Protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein a flow regulator is installed in the potable water inlet.
 6. Protection device according to claim 4, characterized in that wherein sensor elements for detecting an overflow situation and for closing the water inlet are installed in the cover.
 7. Protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein lugs are installed between the potable water inlet and the first conical funnel.
 8. Protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein lugs are arranged between the first conical funnel and the second conical funnel.
 9. Protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein the flow regulator is produced from material suitable for potable water, such as PPSU, and the remainder of the protection device is produced from material not suitable for potable water, such as ABS.
 10. Protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein it is configured as part of a flushing station.
 11. Protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein it is installable in a flowing station behind a pre-wall and is completely dismountable through an inspection opening.
 12. Protection device according to claim 5, wherein sensor elements for detecting an overflow situation and for closing the water inlet are installed in the cover. 